The First Functional ‘Flying Car’ Is Ready for Delivery, Allegedly

The race to claim the friendly skies is on

By Michael Nolledo

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09 March 2018

This week at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show, Dutch firm PAL-V began taking pre-orders for what it claims to be the first commercially available flying car. Dubbed the PAL-V Liberty, the three-wheeled flying car can hold two people and fly up to 11,000 feet in the air at a top speed of 112 MPH.

All very exciting news.

Except for the fact we were all told the same thing by Slovakian company (and PAL-V rival) Aeromobil early last year. Whether piloted, autonomous, taxis or private vehicles, it appears that the flying-car industry is more interested in fueling imagination than actually delivering on its promises.

Nevertheless, deliveries will be made next year once the production model “has received final safety certifications,” according to CNBC. Of course, we have no idea what that means, but we can say PAL-V claims to be certified to fly under both the European Aviation Safety Agency and the US Federal Aviation Administration.

As for switching between driving and flying mode, the company says it must be done manually, but only takes 5-10 minutes. Naturally, you’ll need a pilot license to fly it.

There are currently two versions of the flying car available for preorder: the Pioneer version for $599,000, or the sports edition for $399,000 price tag.

If you’ve got more patience than us, head on over to PAL-V for more info.